MNEK Celebrates 'Unconditional Love' on National Coming Out Day

Hold up, they don't do Coming Out Day like MNEK does Coming Out Day. To celebrate the national holiday, the Grammy-nominated artist who co-wrote Beyonce's "Hold Up" and Madonna's "Living for Love" took to Instagram for a long, long story about his coming out, which he admits "issa read" but trust us, it's a read you'll want to sit down for.

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When he came out at 18, the now-22-year-old first identified as bisexual but realized after a trip to Malia in 2014 that "girls just weren't for me lol." As he realized he was gay, he began to confront the reality of being a black gay man in a world overrun with both homophobia and racism. "I also think being black and realizing you're gay can be v daunting," he says. You [don't know] what to do or who to talk to, you're dealing with being a dual-minority in a world where being ONE kinda minority is bad enough." As the singer/writer/producer ends his letter, he falls back on a message we all need to hear-out or not.

"We can take back the strength of "coming out" and being gay beyond the realization of your attraction to the same sex-it's also really a test of unconditional love. There's people who aren't in my life anymore, and I'm pretty sure the condition was my homosexuality but oh welp. I've made better friends who love me 4 who I am and you will too!"

Read the letter in full on his Instagram post below and then dance like hell to his music.

(issa read but i'm having a moment so allow me.) happy national coming out day, guys. it feels impossible to do but we did it. I came out as gay when I was 18. A year before, i went to my first gay club (Room Service, obvi) with @amedigital, and decided amongst all the naked men and free alcohol that it was the perfect time to let the good sis know "I'm bi, i like boys and girls" she goes "cool, i knew but i love you all the same bb". the one foot in one foot out thing wasn't fruitful. a trip to Malia with "some of the lads" in 2013 helped me realise girls just weren't for me lol. I remember at the time I was just feeling v scared, and unsure - and so i'd try and drop it in conversation to normalise it with varying results. i also think being black and realising you're gay can be v daunting. you dk what to do or who to talk to, you're dealing with being a dual-minority in a world where being ONE kinda minority is bad enough. there's also things like homophobia WITHIN the black community (see: chichi man, batty boy being regularly used in school)/religion (that video of the priest chatting bout licking the poo poo like sis relax)/ but... NT-way. I told my parents separately, my mum in a letter, my dad in person (although my dad kinda found out but DETAILS!). now at 22, about to turn 23, single, working, on music, myself, enjoying living my truth with so much less to hide - the scared young boy who was so afraid of who he was, so concerned with what people thought about him, so mindful of even coming across even a lil effeminate, who'd deepen his voice around straight men, feels like a LIFE away, what with my the shellac and extensions. if you've realised ur LGBTQ, come out in your own time. at your own pace. in your own way. it's not easy but it's easier than you think. trust and believe me. we can take back the strength of "coming out". and being gay beyond the realisation of your attraction to the same sex - it's also really a test of unconditional love. there's people who aren't in my life anymore, and i'm pretty sure the condition was my homosexuality but oh welp i've made better friends who love me 4 who i am and you will too! i love you

A post shared by MNEK (@mnek) on Oct 11, 2017 at 5:07am PDT